Eraser and chalk rail cleaner



March ll, 19'41. J. C. MATHER 2,234,529

ERASER AND CHALK RAIL. CLEANER Filed Aug. 11, 1938 Patented Mar. 11,1941 UNITED STATES PATIENT oFF-ICE Application August` 11,

Claims.

This invention relates tov a blackboard eraser and chalk rail cleanerconstruction.

This invention is an improvement upon my prior invention representedv byPatent No. 1,985,939 dated Januaryl, 1935.

The invention herein embodies certain features which are of a correctivecharacter in connection with the patented invention referred to, orextends the range of use of the device of said patented invention, orprovides a more portable arrangement, the latter being inherentlyrequire for chalk rail cleaning purposes.

The chief object of the invention is to provide a combination chalk railand eraser cleaner structure having the foregoing Vcharacteristics'.

The chief feature of the invention consists in the form of the deviceembodying the invention as hereinafter set forth, whereby the severalobjects are accomplished. y

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fullyhereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the invention arranged forchalk rail cleaning.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l and inthe direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view looking toward the front and inside of theeraser cleaning suction aperture closure.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view looking toward the inside of the chalk railsuction aperture closure cap.

In the drawing, IIJ indicates a metal base having an upright portion IIsuitably secured in the present instance at I2 to a fan housing I3. Thebase portion may be provided with rubber-feet I4 or any other cushioningor silencing support.

Secured to the fan housing I3 isa motor housing I5 and secured to it atopposite ends, as indicated at I8 more particularly, is a U-shapedhandle I l, thelatter being apertured` to' permit the entrance of ailexible electric cable. structure I3 connected to a motor, not shown,within the housing I5 and controlled by a switch having the exposedhandle portion |.9- carried by said,hous ing I5. The current supplyingcableA structure. terminates in the accessory plug terminal stmoture 20for wall receptacle connection.

The motor includes a shaft 2ly that extends be-` yond the motor housingI5 and into the fan chamber 22. Mounted thereon in any suitable manneris a fan structure 23. -The chamber 22 has an outlet arrangement 24which is adapted` 1938, Serial No; 224,295

to detachably support va usual collecting; bag structurer25. Thedetachable arrangement is providedY so that the chalk and debriscollected from the erasers land/or the chalk rails maybe removedfrom thebag from time totime as desired or required The fan housing I3 includesan intake opening 261 which communicates with chamber 21 in the housing28, the latter including a flange 29 by which the portion is securedasat 30 to the fan housing. As illustrated clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, theupright portion II by its mounting simultaneously secures these twoparts together as well asV serves as the connection between the rest orplatform portion and the cleaningvportiony of the device.

The housing 28 includes a downwardly directed duct extension 3l whichfor eraser cleaning is normally closed by a frictionally mountedmetallic cap 32. When eraser cleaning is not desired but chalk railcleaningis desired, this cap-see Fig. Ll--is removed and a flexibleconduit 33 is -detachably associated with the open end of the ductstructure.

Theopposite end of the conduit 33 terminates in a suction mouthindicated 'generally by the numeral. 341rv which may be detachablyassociated with the end: ofthe conduit 33 or telescopicallyconnected'thereto. Preferably this suction mouth is made of fairlyflexible rubber so that it can beY readily manipulated at the same-timethat it is being guided and by' the samey hand so that the suction maybe applied locally as desired or required.

This suction mouth has an opening 35 substantially at right angles tothe opening that receives the end of the conduit 33'. The suction mouthis shown substantially lelliptical and having a relatively large majoraxis as compared to its minor axis whereas the opposite opening forconduit reception i's substantially circular in outline.

It is quite obvious that when the motor is actuated by closing theswitch indicated by the numeral IIS, and: the fan rotates,- that verymuch suction will' be. applied' to the opening 35. This is because, thechamberA 2l has1 an upwardly directed opening arrangement Vsimilar tothe mouth or throat in the before mentioned patent', and through whichis exposed the beater for eraser cleaning.

The present inventiomtherefore, contemplates the addition of a coverlcap.` for this beater exposing aperture. S-aidcover cap is shown clearlyin Fig. 3. It isalso illustrated in top planand in central section inFigs. 1 and 2, respectively. It includes the main body portion 36, theupwardly and arcuately directed portion 31 and the rim portion 38. Therim portion is only around ,three sides of the body portion. The rimportion is recessed asiat 39. The opposite edge of the body portion hasa suitable conformation, as indicated by the numeral 40. The purposes ofthe aforesaid are as follows:

The recess at 39 is to provide clearance for the extension 4| whichforms a bearing for the shaft 42 which may be integral with or anextension upon the motor shaft 2|, or the fan shaft if these parts bedetachably associated together. The conformation 40 conforms to theexterior outline, indicated by the numeral 43 in Fig. 1, of theanchoring flange portion 29 of the housing 28. The heater housing 28 issecured to the fan housing 3| by flange 29 and members |2-30. It will beapparent that when the motor is energized and the fan is actuated thatno air can enter the chamber 2'| when the cover cap shown in Fig. 3 isproperly positioned, ex-

cept that `which enters through the duct 3| and,

therefore, the full suction effect of the fan is available for chalkrail cleaning.

R-eference now will be had more, especially to Figs. 1 and 2 wherein acertain guard feature arrangement is provided. In the use of theinvention as described in the `beforementioned patent, there was dangerof the school children inadvertently having their small fingers engagein the opening through which was exposed the beater structure and insome instances the fingers were injured by the spiral blades of thebeater structure mashing the finger tips against the wall of theopening.

In the present invention the spiral blades of the beater structure areshown serrated; in other words relieved. Herein the beater structure .isindicatedsee Fig. 2--by the numeral 50, the vanes thereon by the numeral5| and the relief or recessing by the numeral 52. The opening throughwhich these vanes are successively exposed for engaging the lowersurface of the eraser for beating purposesfall thewhile, however,v beingsubject to suction, is indicated by the numeral 53. This opening in thepresent form of the invention is now provided with guard means-in theform of integral extensions or ribs 54 which extend from one side of theopening 53 to the opposite side and in the slots formed thereby, theseveral-teeth portions of the vanes are successively exposed for beatingpurposes. 1

It will be quite obvious, therefore, it is now impossible for childrento have their fingers caught between the vanes of the beater and theside wall of the opening 53 in the eraser cleaning operation.

It will of course be obvious that for eraser cleaning the cover capshown in Fig. 3 must be removed. In order to ,secure the full effect ofsuction on the eraser being cleaned and at the same time beaten, theconduit 33 preferably should be detached in place of being closed andfor this purpose, as previously stated, the metallic cap 32 is providedfor the free and open end of the duct portion 3|.

It will also be apparent that the so-called guard or rib portions 54upon the application of suction tothe chamber 21 when-the device is tobe used for chalk rail cleaning, prevent the cover cap portion 3`|seeFig. B-from being sucked into the opening 531.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detailin the drawing and foregoing description, the same is to be consideredas illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications which will readily suggest themselves topersons skilled in this art, all are considered to be within the broadscope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. InV a suction cleaner suitable for eraser cleaning, the combinationwith a chamber subject to a source of suction and having an upper,eraser supporting face with an elongated aperture therein, and anelongated rigid member in said chamber and with longitudinally directedrigid rib means thereon movable into and out of the aperture in therotation of said member, of guard means of rib like character extendingacross the aperture, the. rib meansv having recesses therein coincidentwith the guard ribs, the rib means intermediate the recesses projectingupwardly between the guard means and above the plane of the supportingface for eraser contact in the rotation of said member.

2. In a suction cleaner suitable for eraser and chalk rail cleaning, thecombination with a fan chamber, a beater chamber axially alignedtherewith and having axial communication therewith a motor driven fan inthe fan chamber, and an elongated eraser beater in the beater chamberand axially aligned with the. fan and connected there-to, the beaterchamber having an elongated communicating with the second mentioned lchamber diametrically opposite the beater accommodating aperturetherein.

3. In a suction cleaner suitable for eraser and chalk rail cleaning, thecombination with a fan chamber, a beater chamber axially alignedtherewith and having axial communication therewith, a motor driven fanin the fan chamber, and an elongated eraser beaterl in the beaterchamber and axially aligned with the fan and connected thereto, thebeater chamber having an'elongated aperture for beater and eraserengagement, of a suction intake conduit communicating with the beaterchamber immediately adjacent the communication of the beater chamberwith the fan chamber, closure means for closing said intake, and otherclosure means for closing the aperture and arranged for beaterclearance, the rst mein tioned closure means being utilized in eraserbeating operation and said other closure means being utilized in intakeutilization, the intake being a substantially elongated passage inclinedoutwardly and at an angle less than an obtuse angle between thebeater-fan axis and the intake inclination.

4. In a suction cleaner suitable for eraser and chalk rail cleaning, thecombination with a fan and axially aligned with the fan and connectedthereto, the beater chamber having an elongated aperture for beater anderaser engagement, of a suction intake conduit communicating with thebeater chamber immediately adjacent the communication of the beaterchamber with the fan chamber, closure means for closing said intake, andother closure means for closing the aperture and arranged for beaterclearance, the rst mentioned closure means being utilized in eraserbeating operation and said other closure means being utilized in intakeutilization, the intake being an elongated passage inclined outwardly,the intake comunicating with the second mentoned chamber diametricallyopposite the beater accommodating aperture therein.

5. In a suction cleaner suitable for eraser and chalk rail cleaning, thecombination with a fan chamber, a beater chamber axially alignedtherewith and having axial communication therewith, a motor driven fanin the fan chamber, and an elongated eraser beater in the beaterchamber, and axially aligned with the fan and connected thereto, thebeater chamber having an elongated aperture for beater and eraserengagement, of a suction intake conduit communicating with the beaterchamber immediately adjacent the communication of the be'a-ter chamberwith the fan chamber, closure means for closing said intake, and otherclosure means for' closing the aperture and arranged for beaterclearance, the first mentioned closure means being utilized in eraserbeating operation and said other closure means being utilized in intakeutilization, spaced guard means extending across the beater aperture,and rigid, longitudinally directed rib means on the beater, the ribmeans having recesses therein coincident with the guard means, the ribmeans intermediate the recesses projecting upwardly between the guardmeans for eraser contact in the rotation of the beater.

JOHN C. MATHER.

